Isn't it funny what a difference a year can make in your life? If I go back a year ago, nearly every facet of my life was different from what it is today. I was a single parent of two amazing teenagers, trying to keep it together in a house I dreaded coming home to, struggling in a relationship with a man I loved dearly but couldn't get to see that I was worth fighting for...and preparing for the Global United Pageant at the very same time.
A little background: In 2010, I was recently divorced and underwent gastric bypass surgery to lose 130 pounds that had burdened me for years. During that time I set three goals for myself. 1) I wanted to run in a race. For someone that struggled to climb a flight of stairs without nearly dying, running in a race was crazy to think of. I successfully crossed the finish line at the Warrior Dash in July of 2012 and prepare to run in it again this coming Saturday. 2) I wanted to dance again. I was a dancer in high school and I loved to perform, but as a morbidly obese woman my entire adult life, dancing on a stage was never going to happen. Until it did when I joined the competitive ladies dance group at Dancin on Broadway in Maple Grove. I love performing in competitions and recitals, and even end in the splits! 3) I wanted to be in a pageant. I didn't even know what that meant, but I knew I wanted to do it. The only person I could think of in the pageant world was Wendy Lindberg. She and I were involved in the Minnesota Women of Today a few years before and I sent her a message to ask her what she could tell me. She shared with me that she had just started a new pageant of her own that was centered in community service. Being a lifelong volunteer, I felt like it was something I should look into. I talked to my daughter Sydney about it and she decided to do it with me. This will be so fun, I thought, not knowing much about the details. I went into it as myself, someone that had struggled to find herself and discovered a whole new life under all that weight- a life worth sharing with others in new ways.
I became Classic Ms. Minnesota Global United and made many appearances as such. Pageant week came and I arrived with Sydney at the hotel, bags packed, still not knowing what to expect. The next few days brought me so much joy, new friends, laughs and incredible moments with my daughter. I made a new best friend, Cici Berardi, Classic Mrs. Scottsdale~ she is a beautiful person inside and out. I went through the week learning new things about myself and others. I gained a confidence in an evening gown and was just me in the interview portion of the competition. I showed the audience who I really was in the Personality Wear portion and even performed a solo tap dance for all to see. What happened next was a complete shock to me. I remember saying "this is not MY life!"
I was awarded best evening gown, best interview and the crown as Classic Ms. Global United! This, after telling Wendy nearly every time I talked to her "I'm not going to win, but..." Here I was, winning...that was amazing to imagine and experience, and this suddenly was MY life! The months since then have been filled with nearly 50 appearances and volunteer shifts in my crown, meeting countless people across many communities, learning so much about myself and experiencing so many emotions. I was pictured in the Pageantry Magazine more than once, spoke to hundreds of people and as an added bonus, Deidre Hall from Days of Our Lives even wanted to try on my crown at an appearance. (Of course, I let her :-)).
I could never actually share with you all that the Global United Pageant has done in my life. All I can do is encourage you, no matter what size you are, how old you are, or where you've come from, register to be a part of the 2013 Global United Pageant. It is worth every dime and every minute of preparation. It will change you forever, win or lose. I will never look back and say that this wasn't worth doing. I would do it again and again if I could! This really could be YOUR life! <3 Lisa Stordahl, Classic Ms. Global United 2012-2013
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There is still time to enter the Global United Pageant's LIVE program this year! There are specials going now and AWESOME gifts/events for all delegates competing this year!
Planned for the week includes a trip to the Minnesota Schools of Cosmetology for a manicure or pedicure, the gold banquet, the Mall of America, and a trip the the University of Minnesota Amplatz for a party with the patients and their siblings!
This is really a meaningful and wonderful pageant week! We want you to join us!
Check it out at www.globalunitedpageant.com
A quote from the Global United Pageant Director Wendy Lindberg to me upon winning my crown~ "I have a passion to see women like you grow and fulfill goals, young ladies find an excitement for the community, and to see ladies who are trying to find who they are discover it before my eyes." She is amazing. Contact her today to learn more about how to climb aboard with us!
